Bruce, Your Blog Makes Me Feel “Uncomfortable”

Several days ago, I received the following email from an Evangelical man named Brad:

You are an accuser of the brethren, and in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ who took the cross for sin, may you be ashamed of what you have done! You will pass away one day Bruce, as we all do, and you will stand before God. Struggling in faith is one thing, becoming an atheist, and then picking on disgraced Christian leaders is another, this behavior is, at the root, the way of satan. How can you not see that?

Yes Bruce, satan is real. But so is the Lord, and He is infinitely greater. I think the reason you pick on fallen Christians, is because deep down you feel a need to validate your decision to leave the faith. You know at some level you are wrong, and a mighty terrible judgement is at the end of this decision.

Being here on your blog, is making me so uncomfortable.

Well, Brad, I am not ashamed, It’s important to turn a bright light on what evil men of “God” do in darkness. Too bad you think it more important to defend these men instead of applauding any and every effort to expose predator preachers. Too bad you think I am “picking” on these “fallen” Christians instead of seeing the importance of exposing harmful, predatory behavior.

I agree with you on one thing, we will BOTH one day pass away. Unlike you, however, I fear neither God or Satan. Both are Bronze Age fictions who have no power over me. Threatening me with God/judgment/hell is akin to threatening me with Harry Potter casting a spell on me.

You wrongly believe you have the supernatural ability to read my mind and understand my motives. I, in fact, do not know I am wrong, nor do I think a “mighty, terrible judgment” awaits me at the end of life. I write what I do primarily out of a sense of moral and ethical responsibility. Yes, I, at times, have a smug sense of satisfaction when I reveal for all to see the hypocritical actions of men and women who purportedly speak for God — people who demand others live a certain way that they themselves cannot or will not live. Such moral/ethical hypocrisy deserves exposure, if for no other reason than to show that Evangelicals don’t practice what they preach, nor do they follow the teachings of the Bible. To such people I says, Don’t tell me how to live, if you yourself are unwilling to live in the same manner.

I am glad my writing makes you feel uncomfortable. My hope is that feeling will cause you to take a hard look at your beliefs and practices.

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According to your belief-system, the brethren are the ones who should fear your “God” at the end of their lives.

How can you not see that the behaviour of the brethren is “at the root, the way of satan?” (According to your belief.)

This perhaps is at the root of your sense of being uncomfortable. The behaviour of the brethren is sickening.

Think of all those innocents who have been transgressed against by “the brethren.” And you threaten Bruce with hell?

Those victims of these so-called brethren, think of their pain, their anguish, some who have even lost their lives. Think of those whose bodies have been raped and fondled and who will spend their lives with the most horrible emotional, mental and physical pain and trauma one could imagine.

Brad, I laughed out loud at your phrase ‘picking on’. That’s exactly what these despicable disgraced x-tian leaders did, they picked on, they preyed on the young and the vulnerable. What should make you uncomfortable, should make you hang your head in shame, is that victims and survivors of abuse are so disregarded by the likes of you. What’s that verse about millstones and the sea? These disgusting abusers are, in many cases serving prison sentences which will end. Unfortunately, survivors mostly serve lifelong sentences, their lives are impacted, ruined even for decades hence. Healing from abuse is not as trivial as healing from a cut finger however much shrieking at the ceiling (that’s prayer to you) x-tians do. Bear of little brain that I am, I can’t understand, if you feel uncomfortable here, why do you read this blog? It’s not compulsory.

I’ll confess something to you Bruce, “Black Collar Crime” is the least interesting part of your blog. But hey if it makes a fundamentalist “uncomfortable” you must be doing something right. (And of course I know why it is necessary.)

I recall a PBS documentary about a priest that molested young boys. What became clear to me is that the reason for the coverups is that what was at risk was the mystique of the clergy. The clergy (in the Catholic church, but more or less in all denominations) are seen as a viceroy for God. If the clergy are seen to be imperfect just like the rest of us the illusion is destroyed and *poof* there goes your God.

Bruce Gerencser, 61, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 40 years. He and his wife have six grown children and twelve grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.